Muirneach
by bookfreak13
Summary: May refuses the title of psychic but her premonitions are rarely wrong. She feels a deep connection to a stranger with pale blonde hair and golden eyes, but she was sent to kill him... Nuada/OC
1. Prologue

A/N: I know, I know. I'm dead for years and when I return it's not more 'Parting Glass' (which I might revisit sometime soon), it's a new story for a new fandom. Don't kill me yet.

Hellboy 2 has been my favorite movie for ages. How I haven't written any fanfiction for it yet, I have no idea. But now's a good a time to start as any, so here's the prologue to hopefully a fairly long story. I'll try to update every week, but we'll see.

Muirneach is supposed to mean 'beloved' in Gaelic, but the site I used to translate it may or may not be accurate. Who knows, it's the internet.

* * *

The air was cold and damp as May picked her way carefully through the dark cave. The artifact she was after was concealed deep within and she hoped it was worth it. She'd be yelling at Manning when she got back.

"Hey May, where are you?" Her com blinked as the deep voice startled her.

"Red, I'm on a mission," she hissed, holding the com to her mouth.

"Bring back souvenirs," he said just as loud as before. May turned the com off decisively. Her partner at the mouth of the cave was only a shout away and she really didn't need anyone one else butting in. The cave was small enough so that her male partner, Jackson, couldn't quite fit, but just big enough for her slight frame to maneuver in.

"This better result in a week's worth of vacation and a bonus," her partner called into the cave. The sound echoed to reach her, but confirmed the theory that if she was in trouble, her scream would make him come crawling on all fours. She'd pay to see that.

"You're not even doing anything," May called back, rolling her eyes. At the back of the cave, behind a tall stalagmite, was a package. Wrapped in layer upon layer of weathered cloth and leather, May surmised this was the amulet Manning was after. Still, she gently unwrapped the layers, careful not to touch the amulet with her bare skin.

Beneath the final hard leather layer, the bronzed amulet seemed to shine despite it being utterly dark in the damned cave. May quickly rewrapped it, shaking the ominous feeling from her bones. The amulet would be trouble, but it wasn't immediate trouble. Her premonitions and intuition in these instances were never wrong, which was why Manning had fought to get her on the BPRD team. He called her psychic, but she refused the title. Just because her hunches came true most of the time, didn't mean she was really that special. Liz also tried to get her to admit her talents, recognizing her denial as something she had gone through herself, but May continued to refuse.

"Agent Hubbard to Manning, the package is secure." May put the carefully wrapped amulet into her small backpack. It was the only equipment, besides her flashlight, she could fit with her in the cave. Her guns and large puffy coat lay waiting for her outside.

"Excellent Agent Hubbard." Manning's smug smile could be heard from his com. May rolled her eyes, already making her way back to the front of the cave. But with every step, her pack felt heavier and heavier until she was nearly crawling to get out.

"May?" Jackson took her hand and pulled her out of the cave, and instantly her pack was light again.

"The cave," she gasped, the effort she was making to get out stole all the breath from her, "it didn't want it to leave."

"I think you're out of shape." He unhelpfully supplied his own theory.

"No, you idiot. It was making it heavier to keep me from removing it. It's obviously not a regular amulet." May caught her breath and punched her partner in the arm. Their plane was only a few miles away, the large empty expanse of Iceland made it easy for them to land near their destination.

"Sure, whatever," Jackson said as he started making his way to the plane. "Let's get off this rock."

"I agree," May shivered as another feeling ran through her. It was ancient and powerful, but the connection was deep enough to make her stop mid-step. It passed as quickly as it came, and May felt almost lonely without it.

"What's wrong?" Jackson noticed his partners stop. His hand rested on his gun, knowing to trust her feelings.

"Nothing," May said oddly. She shook her head to try and shake the lonely feeling. "It felt like a deep connection to the earth, but I'm not sure why."

"Okay," Jackson hesitantly moved toward the plane again, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn't help but mutter his secret nickname for his partner. "Freak."

If May heard, she kept her mouth shut. Still, the feeling of loneliness seemed to cut down to her bones. She felt as though her soul had been ripped in half and she longed to find the rest of it. But she kept this to herself, brushing her loose brown hair back up into the high ponytail she wore for missions. The plane started and she stared at the ground as it grew smaller and smaller.

Miles away on coast of Northern Ireland, a giant opened once again. Once the final resting place of the Golden Army, the Giant's Causeway became home to two new permanent residents a few years back. Since then, the stone giant had laid quiet and still until the moment May felt the first shiver of loneliness.

That was the moment Prince Nuada Silverlance stepped out of the ground.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Forgot to say this in the last chapter, but let's pretend the crew didn't leave the BPRD at the end of the movie, okay? Thanks.

Muirneach supposedly means 'beloved' in Gaelic.

* * *

May Hubbard was 16 years old when she ran away from home after getting a vivid premonition of her death at the hands of her drunkard step-father. She had left her mother, who had all but disowned her thanks to the manipulations of her second husband, to deal with her fate, but returned a month later to save her from another premonition.

Her mother divorced her step-father, but died soon after due to complications in childbirth with her second child. The baby boy died in her arms minutes after her, and May's step-father blamed her for it all. May fell into a deep spiral of depression, and found herself in the same mental facility that Liz Sherman had been in only a couple years prior. The workers recognized the girl's potential and contacted the BPRD after a nasty incident in which May described a premonition to her therapist as the event was happening in the cafeteria of the facility. Her details of the two deaths were so scarily accurate, the workers couldn't wait to get her out of their facility. Some even thought she had worked with the killer before the incident.

May denied her abilities, despite being just as scared and freaked out as the rest of them. It wasn't until Liz showed her that she wasn't alone in being "special", that May considered it. But also like Liz, she didn't want special consideration. If she was going to be a BPRD agent, then she was going to be a regular agent like the rest of them. She went through the same training, the same tests, and the same graduation ceremonies as everyone else did at the compound, save Red, Abe, and Liz.

She had made friends with what the other agents called the "elite team" quickly. Red adopted her as a sister he never had, calling on her repeatedly in the middle of the night when the twins got rowdy. His children, a boy named Trevor and a girl named Lillian, were sweet by day, and terrors by night. They were born shortly after her graduation ceremony, and quickly became the niece and nephew May would never have.

Manning loved May as she was a well trained as his regular agents with the intuition of the elite team. She could work with both teams seamlessly and tended to fit in wherever she was assigned. She was human enough for the agents, and freak enough for the elites, as she put it. Manning didn't care what she called it, her flexibility made her his prized agent. May pretended she hated the special attention to save face for her fellow agents, but secretly she loved the praise and attention. She worked twice as hard as anyone else to maintain her status.

But that also left little room for a thriving social life. Sure, Red, Liz, and Abe were her closest friends, but they never really hung out. And Jackson wouldn't be caught dead having a beer with his freak of a partner. She didn't mind; May was never one for the bar scene.

"You back yet?" Red broke May of her trance in the plane with a start. She forgot she turned back on her communicator. Jackson also jumped beside her, but his was more of a wince of disgust. May tried to pretend her partner's prejudices didn't bother her, but they did. They really did. But he acted fine in public and no one even knew about his attitude changes in private.

"Yeah in the plane now. Should be back some time tomorrow," May responded shortly. She was tired, Jackson was starting to get on her nerves, and her feeling of longing and loneliness weren't fading.

"Good. Lil and T have been missing you," Red laughed. May smiled to herself. What he was really saying was that he couldn't wait to foster them off on her and take Liz out for a date night. It was their usual routine, but May didn't mind. She loved the twins and besides, while they slept with the TVs on, she could catch up on her latest novel. The prince charming was about to meet his princess..

"Hold on, we're about to his some turbulence." Jackson gritted his teeth and tried to keep the plane steady as the pressure around them faltered. The small plane wobbled and dropped, May gripped her harness with white knuckles. Her communicator dropped to the floor forgotten.

The plane faltered again, the engines shutting off and an alarm beginning instantly. May felt the drop in her stomach and tried to breathe as they fell faster and faster. Jackson hit numerous buttons in a fury, pulling up on the controls despite the engine failure. His determined look was the only thing reassuring May that they might not die today.

After what felt like hours of falling, the engines kicked back on and Jackson steadied the plane. May released a breath after noticing how lightheaded she felt. He opened his mouth several times to say something but stopped short each time. May could only guess what he was thinking. He blamed her for not telling him this would happen. He was mad that she didn't tell him it'd be okay. He blamed her for everything that had ever gone wrong in their partnership.

"I can't control it," May said softly as they landed back in New York. Jackson said nothing as he whipped off his harness and leapt to the ground. Manning was waiting for them on the landing strip, eager to get his hands on the amulet.

"I'm not working with _that freak_ again!" Jackson yelled at Manning. May slowly undid her harness, collected her communicator, and struggled to get all her belongings out of the plane alone. She pretended not to hear Jackson scream about her to her boss, calling her every offensive name he could think of and blaming her for issues that had no actual faults. It wasn't the first time, not even the second, so she knew not to take it personally. Regular humans didn't understand, and she was tired of trying to explain.

"May," Manning sounded sour and she flinched. Manning understood more than the other agents, but not to the extent of true understanding. "Next time you have a premonition, please share."

"I had no idea. I can't control it," she repeated just as calmly as before. Manning hesitated before nodding curtly. She could tell he didn't believe her, but she didn't want to waste time trying to get him to believe her. "Next time I sense something, I'll let everyone know."

"Jackson said you had a-an- an episode before getting in the plane." Manning stuttered a moment, fumbling for his roll of antacids. May's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? Well, I did, but-"

"Then why didn't you speak up?" Manning accused as he popped one in his mouth. The scent of sickly sweet cherry filled the air and May felt as though she were choking on it.

"It wasn't related." She gritted her teeth, trying to imagine the delighted faces of the twins when she got downstairs.

"Then what was it?" He asked suspiciously. May sucked in a cold sliver of air. The sun was almost setting in New York and the autumn chill was arriving early. The trees beyond the sidewalks were barely turning yellow and brown, but the air was way ahead of them.

"It was a connection to the earth. I felt as though I was becoming one with the earth and it-" She stopped suddenly. Manning was rolling his eyes. "It felt like half of my soul was leaving me." She finished lamely. May knew from experience it was better to just be honest than lie to Manning. Everything she told him made its way to her therapists ears.

"Look that hippie shit," Manning had lowered his voice, "isn't welcome here. We had issues before with tree-hugging elves and they nearly destroyed the human race."

"Can I just go?" May asked, her voice sounding pathetic to her own ears. Manning nodded, taking the backpack from her that held the amulet. She fled from the rooftop and opted for the stairs rather than an awkwardly long elevator ride with other agents. She was sure Jackson was running around the compound still complaining about her. On the plus side, maybe she could work alone for a few missions now that everyone would be too scared of her to work with her.

"Lillian? Trevor?" May burst into the study, slightly out of breath but excited. The twins, hardly four years old, could instantly turn any bad day into a great one. The shrieks of children were a relief to her ears as she went to her knees to hug the running children.

"May! Are you okay?" Liz rushed to her friend the moment she heard her. "I heard about the plane incident. Jackson is an asshole but it really did sound frightening."

"Oh, it was. But I honestly didn't see it coming. I'm just glad he's a skilled pilot." May didn't like complementing Jackson, but she had to give credit where it's due. Trevor struggled to get out of May's arms and Lillian pulled viciously at her hair, so May released them from her hug and stood to give Liz a light squeeze.

"Hey kiddo, the Force was with you," Hellboy winked, following his wife closely. He's newest obsession was with the _Star Wars_ movies, each of his televisions played one of the many films at all times.

"Yeah, well tell the Force to warn me next time," she joked with a smirk. The kids ran around screaming and weaving themselves in between the legs of the adults. Red grimaced and whispered something in Liz's ear. She lit up and enveloped May in another hug.

"Thanks for taking the kids off our hands tonight!" she squealed. "This is much needed."

"I can tell!" May laughed again, responding to the hug with more enthusiasm than the last one. Hellboy and Liz scampered off to their closets, dressing up for their night on the town. May plopped down in their large room in front of the wall of TVs. The kids scrambled over themselves, and the cats, to claim her lap first.

"Who wants to watch Howdy Doody?" May asked, taking the _Star Wars_ DVDs out of their TVs and slipping in the twins favorite show. They settled into the large armchair with May, one on each side, and instantly were mesmerized by the puppet. May slipped her novel out of her personal backpack and settled in for a long night.

By the time Liz and Red finally agreed on a place to go, all three in front of the TVs were fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews. I really do appreciate it.

Muirneach supposedly means 'beloved' in Gaelic.

* * *

Prince Nuada Silverlance never knew life without his connection to his sister. He could always feel her in his mind, knowing her mood, thoughts, even location. But as he staggered out of the stone giant and fell face first into the grass, he never imagined how painful the silence could be.

"Nuala," he gasped, his voice hardly a whisper but he needed to fill the silence with something.

He winced hearing his own voice, it's rough cadence seemed to scratch his ears. His whole body felt rough, and too sensitive to the senses. The wind felt like whips, the silence too loud, the sky too bright, the grass too sharp, and a bitter taste lingered in his mouth.

Blood, he realized a moment later. Then his memories came crashing back. Blood because his sister stabbed herself to stop him. Blood from his fight with Anung Un Rama. Blood all because of his hatred for humans. Lying there in the grass, taking his rebirth a second at a time, Nuada realized how stupid his lust for revenge was. In the short run at least, there was no way he alone could rid his beloved planet of humans.

Nor would he entirely want to. Humans may be death harbingers but they had moments of brilliance. Their inventions made his way of living easier, though before he died, he'd have never admitted it. Now, with death giving a new perspective, he resolved to be better. If not for survival, for his sister. He would do anything for her now that he didn't have her.

He made up his mind quickly. First, find clothes. Second, find a purpose. Third, meditate until the lust for blood dies.

* * *

Weeks later, and few continents away from his rebirth, Nuada found himself at the center of the troll market. Whispers surrounded him as the market goers gossiped about how his death had been celebrated years ago and how short lived that peace would be. Pushing their annoying voices away from his empty mind, Nuada approached a salesman about the weapons he commissioned.

It has been a hard journey, sneaking onto ships and buses and trying to be as invisible as possible. It also meant dressing like a human, with black jeans and a black hoodie over a black t-shirt. He kept the hood up as much as possible, to hide his less than human face, but otherwise he felt like he blended in. And he worked even harder to deal with the self-loathing that came with it.

The moment he returned to New York, it almost felt like home. He reclaimed his apartments in the sewers and his first mission became acquiring weapons. Purely for self-defense, he reasoned with himself. But it was difficult to find a vendor willing to provide the prince of the elves weapons after everything that had happened. Lucky for him, Hodor owed him a sizable sum which he was willing to negotiate for weapons. The troll laughed and got to work commissioning the prince's weapons under his name.

His second mission was to monitor Anung Un Rama to make sure he and his merry band did not know of his existence. He had a feeling that they'd come after him if they found out about his return. He had hacked their security cameras and displayed them on a series of TVs in various sizes. It was very reminiscent of his rivals own TV wall, but it was the only way for him to keep an eye on the agents.

The woman, Liz he remembered, had given birth to two devil spawn who misbehaved more than they behaved. The only one who they listened to and adored was a woman Nuada had never seen before. Most of the gritty TVs were in black and white, but he had one full color set that was hardly his forearms width. But he put the study on that TV, not because the woman spent most of her time in there, but for… other reasons.

Nuada couldn't deny the deep tugging in his soul when he saw he, as though she could fill the empty void in his being. But it was impossible; she was a human, first of all, and she was certainly not Nuala. But why were his eyes glued on her at all times when she appeared? Why was he concerned when the other agents whispered behind her back? Why was he enraged when a tall, bulky man dumped his drink on her, clearly on purpose?

"Never mind her," Nuada had picked up the unhealthy habit of talking to himself. It filled the angry silence in his head, and distracted himself enough to break her trance on him. "She's hardly worth my time. I need to find an assistant, stock up supplies, then get out of this hellhole."

Nuada wove his way through the troll market, passing vendors he now had a somewhat decent rapport with, commissioning what he needed and promising to return soon. He left the sewers to visit his favorite park. It wasn't the massive, overly popularized Central Park, but a small park to the south of the market. Only a few blocks away, he could go, meditate, and be back in time to pick up his packages.

He arrived moments later, picking a spot below a tree and between bushed where few pedestrians could easily see him. He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. He dug his hands into the earth, palming small handfuls of soil. He evened his breathing, connecting himself to the earth. The gape in his soul felt like it was healing when he did this, and he attributed it to being closer to Nuala.

"Lulu, no!" A voice snapped him out of it, too close for comfort. A dog stuck it's tiny head into his head, waiting for Nuada to pet him. It was a chihuahua, pale tan with the odd dark brown markings. She looked at Nuada hopefully, still waiting for him to pet her. Her owner pushed through the bushes to find Nuada's hiding spot. And they both froze.

She was the woman. The one who worked at the BPRD. Her brown hair was darker in real life than the gritty TVs made it out to be, and her dark eyes were actually a caramel-brown color. She froze, mortified to find a man hiding in the bushes, but he froze because he felt the tugging at his soul go wild. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms and protect her from all evil.

But their definitions of evil were clearly different.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Lulu doesn't usually run away from me like that," she scooped the dog into her arms, holding her protectively close. "But there have never been men hiding in these bushes before." She stroked the dog as she muttered under her breath but Nuada could clearly hear her.

"I was not hiding in the bushes," he tried not to snarl, "I was meditating where no one could bother me."

"Meditating? Like yoga?" She asked, intrigued. She shifted the dog in her arms and held out a hand. "My name is May."

"May," Nuada tested the name, catching her blush as he did so, "a pleasure. I am…" He paused. Would she know his name? Clearly she didn't know who he was on sight, but perhaps agents were warned beforehand of dangers they had previously faced.

"You are…?" She prompted, awkwardly holding her hand out still. Nuada took a gamble, and her hand, shaking once firmly.

"Nuada. Like I said, it's a pleasure to meet you, however I must go. Nice meeting you too, Lulu." He could hardly resist petting the small dog who brought them together. He felt more at peace talking to this stranger than he had since he stepped out onto the Irish countryside.

"I hope we can see each other again… Nuada." May also tested his name like he did. He felt a shiver run through him. He'd only felt this way once, toward his sister, and it had been taboo. But this woman standing before him had no relations to him, no history that would bother him, and was the single most alluring thing on this planet when she said his name.

"No!" He gasped, shutting his eyes tightly. She was human, an abomination, he reminded himself. He staggered away, fighting the urges to do inappropriate things.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking a step forward, reaching out as though to steady him. He swung away from her fingers and stammered a less graceful goodbye and fled.

He kept running until he was in his apartment, breathing the putrid air of the sewers and pushing all thoughts of caramel eyes out of his damned mind. He vaguely remembered the vendors he passed calling out his items were ready, but that was a task for tomorrow. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and all he wanted was to sleep until next month. He flopped onto the old second-hand mattress and kicked off his leather boots. He didn't bother with his traditional tunic or breeches and let the exhaustion carry him off to sleep.

The next morning, Nuada woke up cold and tense. All his muscles seemed to seize while he was sleeping, and he was a ball of pure muscle when he awoke. He grabbed his spear, which he tossed beside him on the bed when he got back last night, and rolled his shoulders to try and loosen up. Warm ups would help, so he slowly worked each tight muscle. The whole routine took an hour and by the time he was done, the sun was fully up.

He shrank his spear to it's easily concealable size, and left for the market after changing out of his old and sweaty tunic. The vendors acted mildly annoyed, but Nuada paid them no mind. They had their money and their lives so they had no right to bother him further. He dumped the supplies on the stone floor unceremoniously. His extra spear and swords clanged together, while the sacks of rice and other food softened the fall. His new travel outfit was a less cumbersome version of what he already wore, shortening the tails of his tunic so they wouldn't catch on anything and loosening the fabric of his breeches to make running easier.

He paused as he passed his TV collection. Was the BPRD in a frenzy knowing that Prince Nuada was back from the dead? But no, they continued their dull, daily tasks. Nuada's eyes swept across each screen, denying to himself that he was looking for someone in particular, and stopped on the single color TV displaying the woman. May.

She was curled in an armchair, reading a book. He couldn't make out much more than that, but she seemed to be quite caught up in her thoughts. She paused, set the book on the small table beside the chair and buried her face into her knees. He couldn't tell if she was just resting or crying, until she suddenly sat up straight, and looked around. He assumed someone made a noise. She leapt to her feet in an instant and stood soldier straight for a person Nuada could hardly see at the edge of the screen. They spoke briefly, argued for a little, and the man left. The woman collapsed beside the chair, and her shoulder shook enough to make it obvious even to his gritty screen. She was sobbing.

Nuada turned back to his supplies. This morning he had been resolved to leave for Europe that afternoon. He still desperately wanted to. He wanted to leave this human woman behind and forget her miserable existence. He wanted to reclaim Bethmoora and restore the land to its previous glory. He could do it; he knew he still had the support of some elves overseas.

The woman on the screen wiped her face and left the study. She escaped his screens and was gone. Nuada shook his head. Her feelings were none of his concern. Nothing about her was his concern! He continued packing and finally, as the sun began to set, he set off to smuggle himself away on a ship.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks again for lovely reviews. I really appreciate it.

'Muirneach' supposedly means beloved in Gaelic.

* * *

May was defeated. The first thing she did that morning was tell Liz all about the odd, beautiful man who hid in the bushes while she was walking her dog last night. Liz didn't react the way she expected. She made May repeat the man's description first to Red, then to Abe. The three collectively agreed.

"We think he's an enemy we've faced before. Prince Nuada-"

"Oh! He said his name was Nuada," May said quietly trailing off. They all stared at her like she was crazy.

"I'm calling Manning. Red, you go find the twins and put down for a nap. Abe, go inform security. May," Liz hesitated. "Go relax in the study."

And that was where Manning found her, the book she tried reading abandoned on the side table with her head in her knees fighting back tears. It wasn't her fault she was hired after they defeating the elvish prince. It wasn't her fault that the briefing agents skimmed the case when they were telling her their past engagements. It wasn't her fault she didn't recognize his name… was it?

"Agent Hubbard." Manning sounded less than thrilled. May shot up, and stood stick straight to her boss.

"Yes, sir," she replied, trying to keep her voice level.

"You met this man?" He held up a blurry photo of a man with pale blonde hair. It wasn't the best photo, but it was him alright. May bit her lip.

"Yes, sir," she affirmed. He sighed.

"Were you aware that we fought an elvish prince for the fate of the earth?" Manning asked dramatically. May tasted blood. She'd bitten his lip too hard.

"Yes, however-"

"Were you aware of his threat to humanity?" His voice elevated as he paced the edge of the study. He maintained his position at the top of the few stairs, lingering in the threshold. May felt the tears threatening to spill. She dealt with rejection poorly. Usually with tears.

"Yes, but-"

"No buts! You're on probation missy! Until you get your act together, you're banned from the field!" Manning fumbled with his antacid pills and popped a few in his mouth. A moment later, he tossed another in for good measure. May felt her legs shaking. Probation was possibly the worst he could do to her. When her mind wasn't occupied, she had more visions. She hated the feeling of knowing what was going to happen and not being able to stop it.

"Yes, sir." With gritted teeth, she attempted to maintain formality. It took every ounce of willpower to wait until he had shut the library door before collapsing beside the armchair. She knew she looked dramatic, her arm flung over the seat, resting her head on her arms as she sobbed into the soft fabric.

She should have known better. He looked too inhuman, why hadn't she noticed? She had been so distracted by the feeling of fullness. The empty feeling she'd felt since Iceland had finally given in and simply being around him made her feel full again. And happy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy with another person. Maybe at her BPRD induction ceremony?

May wiped her damp face and grimaced at the pool of wet fabric she'd left on her favorite chair. It would do no good to keep crying. Maybe if she worked hard in the compound, she could earn her field duty back quickly. She left the library after returning her novel to it's proper place. She had organized the library, much against Red's wishes, when she discovered the wonderful room. Now everything had a proper place, much to Abe's delight.

She rushed to her room and sank onto her bed. It was hardly midday, lunch was being served in the cafeteria, but the last thing she wanted to do was see Jackson. In the past weeks since the dissolving of their partnership, he'd begun bullying her. Pretending to accidentally spill his drinks on her, tripping her in the halls, stupid little pranks like that. And every time, he'd blame it on her, calling her a freak.

With the news of her probation sure to reach his ears quickly, she'd have to be careful to avoid him at all costs. Sure she could tell Manning about the harassment, but they'd be forced to have a formal reconciliation and that probably wouldn't do much good. So May endured it as best she could, figuring he'd get bored with her soon enough.

She buried her head under her pillows, stifling the laughter and footsteps of carefree agents passing her door. She couldn't be certain if they were laughing at her or something else, but it stung nonetheless. Lulu whined and jumped up on her low-rise bed.

"Let's take you for a walk, Lulu. Maybe I can clear my head," May said as she got her ready for a walk. Her small dog could hardly contain her excitement at the prospect of leaving the compound. May had gotten special permission to keep a Chihuahua in the compound, arguing that others could keep their German Shepherds with them. Manning relented after months of pestering.

She slipped out of the compound relatively quietly. Only the security workers saw her and approved her trip out. They kindly refrained from any snide comments, though the smirks let May know that the whole compound probably knew of her probation by now. She let Lulu lead her for a while before subtly directing her south.

May reached the park as the sun started to set. She guessed she had maybe an hour until it slipped entirely beyond the skyline. Lulu bounced around, sniffing pebbles, barking at sticks, and being a very happy dog. May led her to the bushes and peeked around, but no one was hiding, meditating, or doing yoga in them. She sighed, of course he wouldn't be so stupid to return. He couldn't have known she was an agent, but she suspected he wouldn't have returned to see her, a human, anyway.

She was even a little surprised he didn't cut her down where she stood when she interrupted him. His temper was legendary, and surely that would have set him off before. May shook her head of pale, beautiful elves and started to head back to the compound. The whole outing was stupid and she was stupid for even thinking he'd be there.

Lulu barked, startling May, and there stood a woman, nearly identical to Nuada. She had the same pale skin and hair, but her's were in a softer way, more angelic than elvish. She hesitated as she stepped up to May.

"Excuse me," she started, "have you seen a man who looks like me?" The way she said it made May think she already knew the answer, but was politely asking anyway.

"Yes, Princess Nuala," May replied. Nuala looked terrified for a split second and turned to run, but May's reflexes were quick and she caught her by the wrist. "Please don't be afraid, I work with Abe."

"Abraham? He is well?" Nuala turned back to May, her face even paler.

"Yeah, he's fine. He misses you a lot." May laughed. She'd been re-briefed on the case by Abe that afternoon, and he'd lingered on Nuala's details and avoided May's questions about their relationship. It was obvious he had fallen in love with her, and it was obvious she felt the same. Nuala's eyes twinkled with joy at the news.

"Let's go." May took the elvish princess's arm in hers and led her to the compound. They had been a block or two from the park, and May didn't want to wait around to see if Nuada showed up if Nuala was there. "Your connection is broken, isn't it?"

"Ah," Nuala exclaimed, startled, "yes, I suppose it is. I know not where he is or how he is. It saddens me, yet it also excites me. I can finally be my own person."

"There's always a bright side," May grinned, thinking of her own situation and they passed the rest of the walk in amiable silence, Lulu bouncing ahead.

"Just what the hell were you thinking-" Manning greeted the women at the gates, furiously ready to tell of May for sneaking out. His jaw dropped when she presented Nuala, and he ushered them inside quickly. He, as tactless as ever, grilled Nuala about details of her brother and made sure he would not know where their new compound was. Since the old location had been compromised one too many times, they took to a new location on the other side of the city.

"I'll be right back," May whispered to Nuala as she was being examined by a doctor who was very interested to hear about how she was reborn from the earth in Central Park. The princess looked frightened, but nodded. May wondered if she knew she was going to get Abe.

As she ran down the halls, heading towards the stairs to rush down to the library, May's vision tunneled and she fell. Her eyes shut, but images blossomed beyond her eyelids anyway slowly forming, lingering, then fading.

 _Nuada, holding a spear at her throat._ That one would happen soon, she could tell since it was a crystal clear image. The blurrier the vision, the later it would happen. _She saw Red, Liz, Abe, and Nuala eating a meal, all happy together for the first time in a long while. May getting beat up by Jackson, and Manning trying to break it up._ Her vision faded to black and May thought it was over.

But blurry images flashed in front of her eyes, just as slowly as before. _Hellboy fighting to control the apocalypse he never meant to bring. Liz lying lifeless at his feet. Nuala and Abe surrounded by children, Liz and Red's and their own, sobbing. And May saw herself, screaming to Hellboy with Nuada holding her oddly close._

"May? May!" She heard Liz's voice like it was through a tunnel. She blinked, the visions fading away to black. Her eyes opened fully and there were her friends surrounding her, all worried.

"What did you see?" Manning demanded, sounding less worried about her well-being and more about her visions. Red faced him with what May guessed was a menacing look, as Manning shut up immediately.

"Are you okay?" Liz helped May sit up. She had fallen, luckily, in the hall and not on the stairs. They helped her up and into the study.

"Abe," May gasped, her voice returning shakily, "Nuala. She's-"

"I know, she's here." Abe said, and May finally noticed the pale woman, hiding behind her beloved frightfully. May guessed she looked a mess.

"Visions of the future," May tried to explain. She didn't like having anyone afraid of her.

"So _now_ you admit it," Liz chuckled as they helped her into her favorite armchair. May bit back a bitter laugh. Liz explained May to Nuala as May tried to see if the pain was more serious than an all over ache. Mostly, her visions were moments long and only caused a headache, but the longer ones seemed to take the life out of her.

For now, she'd rest and relax before trying to figure out the terrifying images she saw.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm sorry this is such a filler. I like alternating chapter focus, but Nuada isn't interesting... yet. Thanks for any and all reviews. I never expect any, so they're very much appreciated.

'Muirneach' means beloved in Gaelic.

* * *

Nuada had been making a point to avoid that damn park. He traveled east now to a park further away, but he couldn't stop thinking about that woman. Her chocolate colored hair, her caramel eyes, even her cotton candy pink lips. He wanted to eat her up. And he decidedly did _not_ want to think about it.

He had commissioned a large, elaborate trunk to transport his things and decided to travel legally with his gear. No need to put himself into danger so close to getting away from this hellish land. He told himself it wasn't to have an excuse to linger and check on the woman, but he stood transfixed on the screen, pain throbbing throughout his body.

One of the small black and white screens showed May having some sort of seizure on the ground. He had come running the moment he felt pain, and found her curled into a ball in the hall. The amount of pain he was enduring reminded him of Nuala. Their bond was similar, empty without each other and sharing pain and joy, but her thoughts and her heart was hidden from him. He could hardly understand how the human could withstand the amount of pain he was feeling. Surely for her, it was twice as bad.

"Nuala…" Nuada breathed. Even though the screen was black and white, he recognized her regal posture and floating way of walking. His heart ached as both women he felt oddly attached to were occupying the same screen. He wanted to punch through the screen as that bastard Abraham put an arm around his sister and slipped his hand into hers. Anung Un Rama and his woman helped May stand and they walked her to the library.

As they came into the color television's view, Nuada was filled again with panic. May was as pale as Nuala and her eyes still fluttered closed. He needed her to open those beautiful eyes and smile again. He recoiled violently from the sudden thought.

"No, she's human. One less to worry about is a good thing," Nuada muttered to himself, making himself turn away. It felt like he was tearing himself in two. One half of him still hated humans with his whole being, and the other wanted to forgive them, share his life with them, and love them. Well, mainly just May.

And then she spoke and started to sit up. Color began to return to her cheeks and she sat up, talking with the people around her tiredly. Nuada wanted to scream at them to leave her alone and let her rest. She obviously needed it. She only gasped out a few words before she slumped back down.

"Asleep," he whispered to himself. "She's only asleep." He relaxed as Anung Un Rama scooped the exhausted girl up in his arms and carried her off to a bed somewhere.

"Forget her! And forget my traitorous sister," Nuada fumed at himself again. He was filled with rage for the first time directed at his sister. She chose Abraham over him again. "I will leave tomorrow and retake my birthright."

His rest was fitful and full of caramels, chocolates, cotton candy, and his sister.

The next morning was dreary. Fog clung to the buildings and there was constant gentle rain. Nuada hauled his trunk up and into the busy New York morning. By some miracle, a cab took pity on him and gave him a ride to the harbor at a somewhat inflated rate. Nuada didn't care once he was settled into what he personally thought of as a human metal death trap. It at least protected him from the rain and relieved his aching arms.

The harbor was even more dreary, with fog rolling in from the ocean in waves. Nuada talked to a few captains, biting his tongue to keep from insulting them as they denied him passage. After an hour of inquiring, one captain volunteered to take him as far as London. He snatched up the chance before fate could tear it away.

The boat was musty and smelt like mold in every room. It had two large cargo holds, in addition to stacks of containers on deck. There was little room to move about, but the small room Nuada had been assigned was enough for him and his trunk. The captain had taken the last of the money he had stolen, either through pickpocketing or simply picking up fallen bills or coins.

Being so close to the ocean made Nuada feel much better than he had stuck in the middle of a concrete jungle. He spent most of his time on deck, meditating and collecting himself as the rip in his soul got deeper with every mile. He was not only leaving his sister behind, but a woman who had some sort of infernal grip on his body and mind.

Nuada focused on himself. He could do this. He could take the throne with the support of his secret allies. Then he would rule Bethmoora with an iron fist, as he was always supposed to. No humans would be allowed into the forest or perish, just as they had agreed many, many years before. At the time, he did not accept the peace treaty, but he respected it nonetheless. Now, he understood its importance and vowed to uphold it on his father's grave.

The weeks it took to get to London some of the longest weeks of Nuada's life. It wasn't soon that he felt restless on the ship. Yes, the water was comforting and he wasn't entirely without any nature, but he missed Mother Earth. He missed solid ground and not feeling like he was constantly about to lose his balance.

"Hey Stranger." The crew had taken to calling him Stranger as he was the only one on board who wasn't a contributing member of the crew. "We'll be landing in a few hours. Clean out your bunk and report to the Captain."

Nuada didn't bother respond and they didn't wait around anyway. He gathered his trunk, noting to be sure to wash his clothes thoroughly when he landed. By now, the salty, fishy smell of the ocean had blended into the background, but Nuada knew his clothes would hold the scent for months if he didn't have them cleaned properly.

"Ahh milord," the Captain drawled as Nuada stepped onto the bridge. He said the title in a mocking way, since Nuada had introduced himself with his full title when he was searching for his transport. It'd become some sort of joke for the Captain, since the only people willing to be transported like cargo on a cargo ship are crazy.

"You wanted to see me?" Nuada replied icily. Ordinarily, he'd have killed the human who dared mock him, but he didn't know how to run a ship and the crew would certainly refused to help.

"Yes," he replied, all joking manner gone. "As we sail into port, I want you to take care not to be seen. We're legally not allowed to carry passengers and if you're caught, we'd all be in trouble." The Captain narrowed his eyes threateningly. Nuada resisted the urge to whip out his spear and show him how stealthy he could be.

"I understand." Nuada turned on heel and left without any further comments. He didn't trust himself to remain cordial with the Captain and crew, so he simply removed himself from the equation. The port was looming ahead now, the tall buildings poking through the fog. The London sights were all but lost on Nuada; all he saw was concrete choking the earth and humans dwelling on his land. He silently jumped from the deck before the ship was even fully stopped, holding his chest close and landing on the dock for another ship.

He glanced back only once, happily watching the Captain look for Nuada and failing. He slipped into the busy crowd and was lost before the crew disembarked.

Finding a ride up to Ireland was another challenge. He caught taxi after taxi, finding ways to either evade the fees or paying them through other means. He caught another ship, sneaking on as quietly as he had left the last. Finally, a month after he departed from New York, he landed back where he started. He sat upon the dormant Giant's head and gazed out at the sea. He felt a harsh pulling, telling him to return to her, but he ignored it. He ignored it like he had the past month.

He pretended the 'her' in question was Nuala. His dearest sister. He pretended she was the only woman he knew. He pretended she was the only woman he wanted. But in his dreams, caramel eyes whispering his name betrayed his feelings. He could live without her, just as he could live without Nuala.

He headed into the forest without a glance behind at the sea and the pushed the tug to the back of his mind.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for sticking through this with me. It's been crazy at work with the Summer Reading Program coming up (go sign up at your library!)

'Muirneach' supposedly means beloved in Gaelic.

* * *

May struggled to recover after her last episode, but it wasn't due to the visions. Her soul felt like it was being removed. Her will to live was at an all time low. She was on probation, felt lonelier than ever, and the only one who had time to visit her was Nuala and seeing her was a painful reminder of both her mistake and her curiosity.

She had been bedridden for nearly a month when Manning took notice. He came looking for her, claiming it was suspicious that she hadn't been trying to sneak out again since the day she went on probation. He saw her in her bed, a portable IV drip beside her nightstand, and her pale face blending into her white sheets. Manning debated on calling an ambulance right then.

"Manning, sir." May struggled as she tried to sit up and show her boss respect. It was another thing Manning adored about her; she showed him the respect that one with his title would deserve. Whether she agreed he deserved the respect was debatable, but she wanted nothing more than to return to the field.

"Agent Hubbard, at ease. I was going to reassign you to the field, but-"

"Please! I'll work twice as hard!" May's eyes lit up and she found a bit of strength. At least enough to sit up and beg.

"You look so unwell," Manning hesitated. He thought about if she was his own daughter; he'd have sent her to the hospital a while ago. It was his own fault for not checking on her more often. "Focus on getting better, then you can return to the field. And I have the perfect assignment for you and the Elite team."

"Really?" May was overjoyed at the prospect of heading back to work with her friends. The other agents had all but outcasted her now, with Jackson leading. Still, she didn't mind working with the 'freaks' at all. She was beginning to accept her own freak role.

"Get better first. I'll delay the mission until then." Manning sighed and muttered under his breath, "It's not like he could get far anyway with his sister here."

"I will, Sir, I promise!" May laid back down, a renewed joy in her eyes. She recovered in a few days, the new sense of purpose pushing her to get better. By the end of the week, she stood before Manning in her uniform ready for the debriefing with her friends.

"As you all know, this Prince Nuada cannot be allowed to continue," he said cautiously. Nuala stood beside Abe, her hand clenching his tightly. They'd never been without one another since they were reunited, so Manning didn't bother ask her to leave. She nodded grimly.

"Your mission is to find him, and put an end to him for good." May felt her heart stop and her stomach clench. She swallowed hard but her throat was dry. Manning continued, but the sound was muffled by her heartbeat. It was pounding loud and fast. Her head felt light and she started to pitch forward.

Red caught her before she hit the ground. He noticed the subtle shift in her breathing and braced himself. He thought of the young girl as a sister, relating to her desire to be as normal as possible. Red was just glad that Liz wasn't the jealous type.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," May muttered, shoving Red away. She regained her bearings as soon as the floor stopped rushing to her face. "Low blood sugar."

"All of you will go, but I'm trusting Agent Sherman to send Hubbard back if there are any _issues_." Manning wanted to gesture to the scene before him, but thought better of the dramatics. His doctor recommended trying to take things in stride and not let the drama get to him. Well, Google recommended it, not his doctor.

"Yes, sir." Liz nodded, her hand on May's forearm, helping her to her feet. May pushed her away, less roughly, and stood to attention again.

"I'm okay, sir! I can do this," May said, muttering the last bit to herself. He was dangerous and she was an agent. He meant nothing to her, she told herself. He's nobody.

The private jet was waiting for them before they even began packing. May tossed random clothes into her overnight bag and made sure she packed enough ammo to stop the Golden Army itself.

"May." Liz sat next to her on the plane, despite her sour expression. "What's going on with you? You're acting like, well…"

"Like what?" May snapped. She still refused to look at Liz, and the rest of the crew on the plane pretended that they were in their own bubble, nervously laughing and making small talk.

"Like you're in love with him!" Liz hissed, a small tendril of smoke curled around her hand as she fought to keep her powers controlled. The last thing they needed was to set the plane on fire from within.

" _Love_? You're joking, right? I don't even know the guy." But the sinking feeling in her stomach told May that Liz hit it right on the head. "I don't know him. I don't know why-"

"It's because of the link," Nuala spoke softly, yet firmly. "The link that we once shared has been transferred upon you."

"What?" They all turned to the elvish princess.

"Why?" May asked weakly. "Why me?"

"Fate, destiny, who knows?" Nuala laughed darkly. "Why was the link made with me in the first place? This is a special bond made only between soulmates, not twins. I think that since we died, our links were severed and when we were reborn, remade. This time properly." She gave Abe such an adoring look, May wondering if Abe felt like she did when she was around Nuada.

No wonder they rarely left each other's side. When they learned Nuada had gone overseas, May wasn't surprised. She knew from the rip in her soul that he had left her and put a lot of distance between them. But knowing she was going to find him in order to kill him, well May would deal with that when the time came.

"Maybe he changed," May said softly.

"You didn't fight him-"

"You don't know him-"

"He's crazy-"

They all spoke at once, and May sighed. Judging based on what they had told her alone, he was immovable. He was passionate and loyal to one thing; his goals. He would stop at absolutely nothing to accomplish them and would destroy all who got in his way. But what if his goals had changed?

They landed in Ireland what felt like weeks after departing. May shook herself, feeling better than she had all month. He was close, she could tell, and she wanted nothing more than to find him and hold him. She could persuade him to change; maybe even become an agent. If he felt even a fraction of what she did, then he could be persuaded.

But so could she.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you for any/all follows, favorites, and comments. They make my day.

'Muirneach' means beloved in Gaelic.

* * *

Nuada paced furiously. True, he felt better than he had all month, but he knew why. They were here. She was here. And it didn't take long for him to figure out why. He was torn between killing them all and letting them know he was no longer a threat to their race and asking to be left alone.

The forest he found shelter in wasn't far from the Giant's Causeway. He packed up his things and continued moving inland, asking the forest creatures where his people dwell. They rarely answered, too domesticated to speak the elvish tongue, and those who did hardly had a grasp on who they were, let alone who Nuada was.

"For the last time, where are the elves?" Nuada hissed through gritted teeth. The old squirrel yawned and chattered his teeth before responding.

"Elf saw south 10 years before." His Gaelic was rusty and his manners left much to be desired. He turned and fled, seeing Nuada rage at the same answer he gave for the past five minutes.

"South," Nuada hissed to himself, trying to calm down. "I'll head south and try to find more intelligent life there."

He needed to work quickly in order to stay a step ahead of them. He knew he'd be in danger the moment they caught him; in more ways than one. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he saw her again. Would he give into his cravings and dreams and melt into her arms like a tamed lap dog? Or would he harden his heart, kill her, and condemn himself to a life of pain? One bonus to the latter, was that he could rule his lands finally. But the benefits to the former he couldn't begin to imagine.

Being in love with someone who loved him back was an experience Nuada had never had.

The forest had welcomed him like an old friend, accepting his presence and allowing him to use the shade of the trees to mask his being. He would not make this easy for them, especially if they were truly there to stop him again.

What he needed to do was separate the woman from the others, then maybe he could… do what, he wasn't sure. He wanted her, he needed her, but did she feel the same? Her heart was not as easily accessible as Nuala's was. He knew Nuala never hated him, she was incapable of the emotion, but he could feel her resentment and sadness. The only emotion Nuada thought he could pick up on was… excitement?

"How do you know that?" Anung Un Rama's voice startled Nuada and he lept into the trees for cover, blending his presence in with the leaves.

"Because I can feel it," the woman, May, snapped at him. He watched her face, slowly getting more and more confused. "He was just here, I could feel it!"

"I _feel_ like I'm getting blisters, honey." The large red man pushed past her, gun up and cigar lit. "But I don't see any murderous elves here."

"Well, Red," she said in a tone of condescension, "He's gotten past all the security at the BPRD once so he can certainly get past you." The other woman chuckled. "Even Liz agrees with me."

"Hey, leave me out of this." The dark haired woman lifted her hands and walked past them. Nuada knew of her powers, and he considered her the only one who would really give him a run for his money if they got down to it.

"He's here." The last of their group stepped into view from his hiding spot and his heart stopped. Nuala stood beside Abraham, dressed in the odd human clothing the rest of them wore, but still as stunning as he remembered her. Maybe he could get both her and May alone and convince them both to join him. His sister also had a legitimate right to rule the elves, and he would love to have her at his side once again.

"Are you sure? I thought he'd have confronted us as soon as he saw you." Abe clutched Nuala's hand tightly. "Imagine if he knew you were with child."

"Abe," Nuala chastised her lover quickly. But Nuada had heard. And now he saw red.

"With child?" His voice boomed around them. He used his connection to the trees to speak through them, making him sound larger and everywhere.

"I told you!" May smirked at the devil spawn. The rest of them had pulled out their weapons and prepared for a fight.

"My dearest sister is with child? From him? Abraham Sapien?" Nuada tried to keep the hysterics out of his voice.

"We knew this would happen," Nuala said stubbornly.

"What?" Abe's head whipped down to his lover. "What do you mean you knew?"

"When we were children, a mystic woman visited us," Nuala said softly. Nuada chuckled around them.

"Everything she predicted came true. She told me I'd become a dark terror to the world." Nuada shifted from his vantage point.

"And she told me that one named Abraham Sapien would be the both the love of my life and the death of me." Nuala finished, her hand slipping out of Abe's. "Do you remember when we met?"

"Yes, you denied that was my name…" Abe said, thinking back. He remembered the day clearly, standing in the mapmaker's studio pretending to be searching for a map while really tailing the mysterious hooded woman.

"I didn't know how to react to finding my destiny in the troll market of all places," Nuala smiled warmly up at Abe and he hesitated a moment before pecking her lightly on the forehead.

"Isn't that lovely?" Nuada's voice was dripping with poisonous sarcasm.

"She told you that if you opened your heart, you'd find love in the least likely places. I know you have a connection to May," Nuala snapped at her brother, "You cannot deny your heart any longer."

"Leave!" Nuada screamed as his connection with the trees was severed. His emotional imbalance made him lose his concentration. He ran, jumping and stumbling from branch to branch, not caring if they knew where he was. Nuada had to get away.

He found himself in a human village eventually. It was small and too touristy for Nuada's liking but it was a good place to hide among enemies. His previous life's mindset was returning; humans needed to perish. They brought nothing but strife and drama. Nuada slipped into the local bed and breakfast and tried blending into the crowds. He realized too late he'd left his chest of clothes, including his human disguise, in the forest. He made a plan to double back and retrieve them tomorrow as he paid a woman with coins he had pick pocketed.

The morning was dark and damp. Heavy clouds walked among the village as Nuada left as soon as he woke up. He could hardly see half a mile before him, making finding his chest or even the forest impossible. It also meant that he could walk right into his enemies. So he moved carefully and slowly, cautiously waiting for anyone he saw approaching to pass before continuing.

"We won't know if we find him until he hits us in the face." Nuada got lucky. They were a loud group and he heard them well before he saw them. He shied away, hopping down off the road he followed and using a hill to his advantage to hide himself.

"He's too clever to actually hit us in the face," Abe pointed out and Liz snorted.

"I meant that by the time we ever recognize each other, it'll be too late." She continued on, her gun up and ready. They all had their weapons out, although subdued as they encountered more and more locals and tourists.

"I knew we shouldn't have camped in the woods," Anung Un Rama snarled, his tail flickering in annoyance.

"But we found his stuff," May argued and Nuada mentally groaned. "It's the best lead we have. He has a spare weapon in here, so he's bound to come for it soon."

Nuada admitted to himself that he'd take more than just his trunk when he encountered them next. He followed them, creeping in the fog, into the town. They asked the few villagers milling around in the fog if they'd seen a man with pale hair. He must have been the center of quite a lot of gossip as the woman told them the entire story of him stumbling into town and renting a room. They hurried to the inn and Nuada patiently waited for them to reemerge with disappointed faces when they didn't find him there.

"I knew someone was following us," May's voice made him jump three feet as she approached him from behind. Nuada whipped around, his spear in hand and rapidly extending. May held her hands up, surrendering. "It's okay, I'm alone."

"How can I trust you in this infernal fog?" Nuada snarled, but instinctively he knew she was telling the truth.

She didn't reply. They simply stared at each other, weapon at May's throat, refusing to move until the other did. Finally, Nuada shrank his spear back, straightened out and pretended to be suddenly fascinated with his weapon.

"I can't believe I found you…" May said breathy. She took a hesitant step forward, and reached out to brush his hair out of his face. Nuada jerked back, his instincts kicking in. "Nuala says we now have the bond you shared with her."

"Impossible. This bond is sacred to our kind. A human would never be-" Nuada cut off abruptly. A sudden idea came to him. What if she wasn't human? Perhaps she was of his kind but she never knew… It wasn't exactly impossible.

"Never be?" May prompted him to finish but he grabbed her by the shoulders and captured her lips. It was the easiest way for him to soul search, unlike his sister who only had to touch them. He deepened the kiss, for soul searching purposes only, he told himself, although May wasn't exactly resisting and she tasted so good…

"Your memories are sealed off." Nuada drew back, muttering out loud. May's contented smile turned confused.

"What?"

"I was soul searching. I thought perhaps-" But she slapped him before he could finish.

"That was why you kissed me?! How dare you! Next time I see you, I will kill you!" May tried to keep her voice level, afraid yelling would make her group come running, but it was hard. Nuada watched her run off in the fog and contemplated following for a moment, but decided the best of it.

Why were her memories so difficult for him to see? Her soul was as murky as the fog, bits and pieces of memories flashed before him, but nothing concrete. He saw her recent memories the clearest, but anything beyond the BPRD was hazy. He caught a flash of a man threatening her, but he looked so different, he doubted it was her father. He saw her mother taking the violent man's side, but to what end, he didn't see. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and sadness from her past, that he'd wanted to keep May in his arms for the rest of eternity.

He couldn't tell if she was human, elf, or something else entirely.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: I am SO sorry for the hiatus. Things at work got insanely crazy and now they're back to normal. I'm nearly done with the story I think. Thanks for all the support.

Muirneach means 'beloved' in Gaelic.

* * *

Chapter 7

May had never felt so betrayed. Not even when Jackson turned on her. Not even when her mother sided with her ex.

No, this was a blatant betrayal of her feelings that made her want to curl up and cry. He would never love her and he'd die before accepting her as his human lover. Not that the thought ever crossed her mind in the first place. Of course not.

She slipped into the inn with her crew sitting at a table feasting on an array of Irish pub food with the innkeeper happily keeping things coming. Liz raised an eyebrow as she sat with them, rubbing her eyes to try to hide the fact she had been crying moments before.

"Long bathroom break," she simply commented. May gestured with her head noncommittally. She rested her head in her arms and let the sound of Liz's husband's loud eating fill her ears. This time she meant business. She would kill him with her team. He was a threat to her way of living. Her somewhat normal life would end if he lived.

"By the way, May," Abe reached across the table to touch May's shoulder but thought better of it. He could feel the conflicting feelings simply by bringing his hand towards her. May lifted her head and grimaced. "Have you had any visions?"

"No," she sighed, "if I did, maybe we could find him easier and get this over with."

"You are prepared to destroy him?" Nuala couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Yes," May replied simply as she rested her head back down again. She tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible, but it cracked at the end. Nuala started to say something else, but May focused on the sounds of the inn instead.

"May," Liz shook her shoulder gently and May woke with a start. She didn't even remember falling asleep. "We're going."

"Okay," May rubbed her eyes again, not caring that they were already red rimmed and puffy. Hellboy tipped generously, his messy eating created a mess that they all felt bad leaving behind, and they left the jolly atmosphere. The fog had cleared up now that the sun had gone and the temperature went down.

"Bastard should be around here somewhere." Red growled, his full stomach making him in a much more enthusiastic mood.

"I think he's back where it all began," May said, focusing her thoughts on her 'enemy'. She could almost see him clearly. He was staring up at the stone giant with his two spears extended. He was expecting her.

"At least we know the way," Abe said, always optimistic. They took off at a jog, but May knew that he wasn't going anywhere.

They arrived at the stone giant in less time than May had hoped for. She was resolute, but not entirely ready. She had a feeling it was going to come down to the two of them fighting for their lives.

Hellboy took out his oversized gun, dubbed "Big Baby", in one hand and his regular pistol in the other. May could tell he'd been training for this rematch as the two tangled around each other in a flurry of activity and violence. Abe stood beside his lover, gun out but only in self-defence. Liz stood by May, ready to provide cover if her husband needed to retreat.

With a nasty blow to the back of the head, Red went down in a heap. Liz leapt forward to attend him while May stepped up to distract the elvish prince from making the final, fatal blow.

"Nuada!" she cried, shooting her own pistol as she charged. He blocked the shot with a flash of his spear, but was unprepared for her to tackle him around the middle. They rolled together, nearly over the edge of the cliffs. The turbulent waters below crashed against the cliffs with a roar, nearly louder than May's own furiously beating heart.

They jumped apart and hoisted their weapons. Her gun pressed to his temple as his spear cut into her neck.

"Don't think I won't pull this trigger if it's the last thing I do," May spat. Nuada could hardly hear her over the sounds of the waves.

"May!" Hellboy's strangled voice reassured her he was fine. She'd have no regrets now…

"Don't make me," Nuada stepped back, dropping the spear. "I couldn't kill you even if I tried."

"Why?" May pressed the gun harder to his head, mentally screaming at herself to pull the damn trigger.

"Against all odds, the gods have determined that you are my soulmate." The resentment wasn't hidden in the slightest. "And as such, I cannot hurt you."

"Oh, trust me, you can still hurt me," May muttered, remembering their last moment in the alley. Her lips still tingled, but with fury or excitement May didn't know.

"Please," Nuada cast a nervous glance to the crew slowly circling them, "put the gun down, May."

"They won't let you leave here alive," she muttered just loud enough for Nuada to hear over the waves crashing below. The wind was kicking up and the water was even more agitated. A slight sea spray tickled May's ankles. Slowly, she lowered her gun.

"I know." And he smiled. A genuine, brilliant smile that made May feel like it was meant just for her and she melted inside. He stole her hand and pulled her close and he threw himself (and herself) off the cliff.

* * *

May woke coughing up water, shivering and freezing in a dark cave. Nuada stroked her soaked hair as she fought to sit up.

"Wh-What the hell was that?" May scrambled to get away from him, but he held her wrist firm.

"You are my beloved." The warmth was gone from his face and voice. He stared at her with icy golden eyes. "I will keep you safe no matter what form you take."

"What do you mean 'form'?"

"There is no way my beloved would ever be human so you must be some sort of elf. I heard you have visions, which further proves you are not human."

May's stomach lurched as he said the final words and she vomited water at her feet. Nuada rubbed her back, careful to not let her wrist go.

"I… am… human." She gasped for air and collapsed back into his arms. He held her from behind, his warm (though wet) chest warming her up.

"My love, you can't be." This he said gently, as though not to disturb her. "The sooner you realize that-"

"Where are we?" May shot up in an instant, cutting Nuada off mid-sentence.

"-the better. This cave is below the cliffs we just dove from. We are safe at the moment." He finished, only slightly disgruntled.

"They probably think I'm dead," May tried to stand, but her legs wobbled and she fell against the rocks. "I have to let them know I'm okay."

"I will send word when we take up our residence in the forests." Nuada said calmly, helping May to her feet. She stared at him incredulously.

"What?" she snapped.

"I think an owl would be regal enough for the future queen of Bethmoora. The squirrels were too undependable." Nuada spoke to himself as she stepped to the edge of the cave and then leapt back as a wave crashed against the entrance and showered her with more freezing water.

"How will we get out of here safely then?" She returned to him, crossing her arms.

Nuada opened his mouth to reply, but closed it thoughtfully. He began pacing quickly, and May restrained from laughing.

"I suppose I see your point," he admitted slowly. "We will need to wait at least until the ocean calms. I can scale the cliffs, but…"

"There's no way I could." May finished for him. "Then scale them now and get my friends to rescue me. They care about me more than you."

Nuada bit back a reply and waiting for the next crashing wave to recede before leaping from the mouth of the cave. May moved further back in the cave as the tide began to lap at her feet. The familiar tingling feeling began to creep into the edges of her consciousness. She climbed as far into the cave as she could as her vision faded to black.

She saw herself in a forest, surrounded by elves as a crown was being placed on Nuada's head. Even her friends stood to the side, although Red looked like he was being forced to be there. It faded and the cave returned to her. The visions of the apocalypse had been replaced with this much happier, if not stranger, future.

Perhaps if she had killed Nuada, it would have cemented that bleak future…


	9. Chapter 8 - FINALE

A/N: Well time escaped me. I really don't have an excuse, so here's the final, extra-long chapter. I MIGHT do a follow-up (just cuz I accidentally set up a storyline earlier) but I can't promise it yet.

As always, I appreciate each and every one of my readers so much. It means the world to me that you've made it this far. You are my _muirneach_.

Muirneach means 'beloved' in Gaelic.

* * *

Chapter 8

May drifted off, clutching her knees to her chest at the highest point in the cave. She dreamt of when the plane stalled with Jackson, but this time her pilot was Nuada and they fell right into the ocean. She kept sinking no matter how much she tried to swim up and finally ran out of air…

"May!" She woke with a start, gasping for air. Red stood before her, a rope tied around his waist. He scooped her up and tugged twice. They were pulled out and up by the plane they used to arrive on the island. Nuada stood at the top of the cliff, guiding Liz's careful piloting so they landed softly on the grass.

"Beloved," he enveloped her in a tight hug, and Nuala wrapped a towel around them both. She was hesitant to approach her brother, but he hardly even noticed she was there. She found it odd after his obsession with her in his previous life, but if he had embraced their connection, then perhaps ignoring her was his way of severing their old one.

"You're suffocating me," May pushed him away, too weak to be truly forceful, and he stepped away without resistance. Red, detangling himself from the rope, spun her around and inspected her for damage. Liz joined him shortly after she landed the plane but left the engines running.

"We're taking you home," Liz said, putting an arm around May protectively. Nuada glared and his hand twitched toward his spear. May gently pushed her away too.

"I think…" she said slowly, "I'll give him a chance."

All eyes fell on May as she stepped up to Nuada and slipped her arm through his.

"We all know that compound isn't my home. They'll hardly notice I'm gone." May smiled at her friends.

"But he's-"

"I know, but I honestly don't think he'll harm me. And if I can persuade him to spare the human race it's a win-win." May laughed even though no one else did. Abe and Nuala shifted besides each other, uncomfortable and ready to leave. Red and Liz looked ready to fight. To May's surprise, it was Red who relented first.

"Keep your communicator on you at all times and I'll come pick you up if you need me to." He sighed and forcibly turned his wife around, and the four climbed into the plane and took off after teary waves goodbye.

"I knew you loved me," Nuada started smugly.

"Oh shut up," May rolled her eyes and pulled him inland. "I don't trust you near cliffs anymore."

"Why _did_ you choose me?" he asked after a moment's pause.

"I had a vision," May answered vaguely. She could tell he wanted to press her for details, but he surprisingly stayed quiet. They walked as the sunrise reached it's peak. It quickly dried May's damp clothes and they passed around the familiar village without disturbing it any further.

"We ought to rest," Nuada said, carefully eyeing May as she stumbled slightly. She gratefully accepted his offer and they dove into the tall grasses for cover as they rested. Nuada watched her face as she easily slipped into the comfort of sleep, her features relaxed and her mouth parted slightly. Nuada furiously fought the urge to kiss her, knowing she needed sleep more than he needed to touch her. But he did allow himself to slide her hand into his.

"When you become the Queen of Bethmoora, your human life will cease to exist," he whispered quietly. "You will become the elf you were obviously meant to be."

"But," she said softly as a sigh, "I've never been anything other than human." One eye opened as she smiled at him. She had relaxed, but sleep had not come that easily to her. Nuada's face flushed, caught whispering his sweet nothings, but he fixed her with a steady look.

"You cannot be. Our connection-"

"Our _connection_ ," May's nose wrinkled in distaste, "is the world playing yet another cruel joke."

"I do not believe you are a joke." Nuada confessed so quietly, May nearly missed it. She opened her mouth to argue, but closed it and rolled over so her back was to his chest. He pulled her close, pressing his arms around her protectively. He waited for her breathing to even out but fell asleep himself.

* * *

They awoke to the sun on their faces and the breeze tickling their noses. May couldn't remember a time she had ever woken up more peacefully. Nuada gave instructions that she disregarded as she stood and stretched. The terror of the other day had given her a deep, dreamless sleep that she was grateful for.

"We ought to begin the search for the thrones," Nuada took her hand and pulled her toward the trees.

"Wait, you don't know where the thrones are? How are you supposed to rule when you don't even know where your domain is?" May stopped, savoring the sunlight, and laughed.

"I know where my domain is," Nuada said stubbornly. "I was a child when we went overseas. How would I remember a time over a thousand years ago?"

"How convenient," May grumbled, yet let him pull her into the shaded protection of the trees. They stomped around the undergrowth until a raccoon, either taking pity on them or annoyed with their disturbances, informed them they were going in circles.

"What I need," Nuada shot her a disgruntled look, "is my trunk. I may have just the thing to help us in there."

"We left it in a tree hollow on the edge of the forest surrounding the village. Which would have been easy to find if you hadn't chosen to walk a random way in the forest." May snapped back. Their arguing escalated as they continued until they were screaming at each other in the middle of a clearing. The air was eerily still, lacking the usual sounds of forest activity, and they both stopped mid-sentence as they noticed the change.

"What is this place?" May hung onto Nuada's arm as the forest seemed to dim around them. His face lit up.

"We have stumbled into a faerie ring. Excellent!"

"Isn't that usually a bad thing?" May said uneasily. Nuada burst out laughing.

"Yes for mortals, but not for an elf." May opened her mouth to remind him of her mortality when three floating figures slipped into the ring. Music seemed to explode the moment they stepped in and reality bent as tables piled with food appeared. The figures, all female, all breathtakingly beautiful, glided around the pair with false smiles.

"Welcome,"

"Back,"

"Prince Nuada." Their voices overlapped one another perfectly, and May had no idea which one had spoken.

"I demand to be taken to my throne," Nuada smiled, his chest puffing out a bit in self-importance. May gripped his arm even tighter as the temptation to run over and devour the entire feast came over her. She buried her face into his back and tried to block out the music.

"We owe you no favor," they replied, stopping short. The music abruptly stopped and the tables and food vanished. "We will not listen to demands from spoiled princes."

"Please," May spoke softly, the temptations still lingering in the back of her mind. "He is greatly changed and I believe he would rule fairly."

"What do we care for the beliefs of mortals? They are a second in the lifespan of a faerie." The faeries did peer at May, curious as to why a mortal was clinging to him, and perhaps more baffling, why he wasn't striking her dead.

"I will ask a favor then." Nuada said the words carefully. "I will ask that you take me and my companion to the elvish throne without harm, and I shall grant a favor upon each of you when I am king."

"Ooh, pretty words from a pretty elf." One, clad in the palest pink, May thought it was white, stepped away from the rest.

"We would like a single favor first, before we grant an impudent prince one." Another, in the palest white-blue, continued.

"Our favor is simple and will cost the prince nothing." The last, in pale yellow, came up to May, gently taking her free hand. The other remained tightly attached to Nuada's shirtsleeve.

"What is it?" He snapped and made to pull May away.

"Her powers."

The shock wore off slowly. The faeries took advantage of it and pulled May clear of Nuada. They encircled her quickly, floating around her like white-hot flames.

"My powers?" May exhaled the word quietly. It was finally confirmation that her premonitions were more than just strong feelings. She had powers too, just like Liz. But much less useful, in her opinion.

"What powers?" Nuada reached for her, but drew back as though burned.

"Take them, please!" May clasped her hands together, wincing as the heat from the swirling faeries grew. She seemed to be enveloped in a circle of flames until all at once, it was gone.

"In exchange for this gift,"

"We grant you your desire."

"Farewell my dear prince and princess."

May collapsed to her knees, her head ringing with the words of the fae. Nuada was at her side in an instant and another burst of heat enveloped them and then they were surrounded by darkness.

"May? May!" Nuada shook her gently. Blinking slowly, she looked up into the concerned face of the deadly prince.

"Nuada," she said slowly. "My head feels… lighter." A grin burst across her face. "It's gone, it's really gone, I can't believe it!"

"What powers did they take from you?" He demanded. May shook her head.

"I could see visions of the future. It was always painful and there was always a dull ache in my temples but it's gone now. I'm free." She whispered.

But at what cost?

They were in a dark room made of stone. It had vaulted ceilings and windows taller than May. But the windows were overgrown with vines and thick leaves, letting very little light in. She looked around, and saw two large thrones on the far side of the massive room. The faeries were good on their promise.

"What happened here?" Nuada demanded rushing to a window and ripping vine after vine away. His fury was not new to May, but the ferocity of it rolled off him in waves. May stood and walked to the window opposite him. She tried to look beyond the vines but the outside was concealed beyond tree trunks wider than a car.

"Is this… Bethmoora?" She asked in an awed whisper. The empty room took her words and echoed them in every corner. Nuada paused in his fury and faced her panting.

"You should have seen this room in it's prime," he said with grim pride. "Swirling lords and ladies in every direction, food on every table, wine aplenty. I hope we can restore it's former glory." He chose his words carefully, giving a pointed look as he said 'we'.

"Sounds like something out of a fairytale."

"It most likely is. Many humans were once guests at our Midsummer Celebrations," Nuada said vaguely as he approached the thrones. One, slightly larger and centered, was obviously meant for the king, while the other, slightly smaller and off to the left, was intended for the queen. They were the only two remaining structures in the room, piles of stones and rubble littered the floor on the raised dais on which they remained.

"Are we supposed to live here?" May asked, half scared of the answer. If the rooms had overgrown vines over the windows, it would feel just like compound. Claustrophobic and cold. With a lot less people.

"Don't worry, Beloved," Nuada held a hand out from the dais. She joined him quickly, letting him envelope her in a warm embrace.

* * *

The weeks passed quickly. Liz and Hellboy came back the next day with food and provisions for the dynamic duo as they set about restoring the palace. To May's delight, the many small animals who now resided in the palace felt as ease enough to communicate with her in her tongue. Many times, May caught herself feeling like Snow White with her horde of cleaning animals.

Nuada had at first inspired fear into the animals and many of the forest creatures, fae and beast alike, but soon they realized his peculiar human companion brought out the best in him. He decided to begin holding court from the moment they arrived and throughout their restoration process in order to rebuild the relationships that had once been destroyed. While a few refused to acknowledge his leadership, many came around at least to see his changes.

May went back to the BPRD only once; to hand in her resignation slip to a baffled Manning. Liz had hounded her for details on their relationship but May remained tight lipped. While Nuada was reluctant to accept her mortality, he seemed to be doing perfectly fine with touching her. As they passed each other in the stone halls, he'd always find a way to brush her arm gently, to sweep her hair out of her face, to place a gentle touch to the small of her back.

And at night, he could hardly keep his hands to himself. May told herself that it was because he had never had a relationship like this before. He had been obsessed with his sister; a taboo even to elves. Touching, and certainly kissing, had be all but forbidden. He was exploring himself as he explored her body, touching, caressing, teasing every inch of her skin when the moon rose.

A month after their arrival, the palace had been completely transformed.

"Are you sure that's the right shade of red? I'd hate to put up all these buntings for it to be an offending houses' color." May asked a raccoon. It drew itself up to full height, barely hitting her waist.

"Yes, milady. I double, no triple, checked! The house Bethmoora's colors are gold and this EXACT shade of red." The raccoon scurried off at May's nod, going to tell the ravens to begin hanging the banners from the tall ceilings in the throne room. May hurried to the dias where two faeries were slipping thorns under the cushions for the thrones. She shooed them off, knowing they were only after some (mildly) harmless fun.

"Miss," a voice sneered. May whipped around and gave a clumsy curtsey to one of Nuada's father's old generals. The elder elf had supported Nuada in his early fight against humans and he had not changed over the years as his protege had. He refused to acknowledge May as Nuada's lover or in any position, referring to her by a human title as though to belittle her.

"General Windstorm, what can I do for you today?" May fought his rudeness by being as kind as possible and every smile she gave him seemed to irritate him further.

"Milord demands your presence at court this afternoon. He has an announcement that he'd like to make with you present." He left after finishing the message, stepping haughtily around a group of chipmunks arranging flowers.

May left the planning to her raccoon assistant and went to her rooms to change. Her usual attire consisted of the BPRD uniform; tight black pants, black shirts, and black jackets. But Nuada had gifted her several stunning silk gowns since living in his childhood home, and May deemed them more appropriate than jeans. The crimson sleeves and bodice, intricately embroidered with spindly golden branches and tiny golden leaves, slipped over her head effortlessly. May ran a porcupine brush through her hair quickly, then rushed to court.

Nuada stood in the center of the room so he could see and hear everyone. May admired the change in policy he had, whereas before his subjects would approach one by one and there was never enough hours in the day to hear them all. This way, it was more of a collective meeting, addressing several concerns at once with the helpful insight from the people.

"Ah, here she is." Nuada noticed her instantly and May felt her cheeks flush. He held out a hand to her and the crowd parted to give her room to reach her prince.

"I'm sorry if this isn't what you always dreamt of as a child," he muttered into her ear before addressing the rest of the room.

"I've gathered you all here today to witness the glorious return of the name Silverlance to Bethmoora." Nuada's voice commanded attention and all whispering hushed. Even General Windstorm, scowling in the corner stopped to listen to his king. "And I want you all to witness as I ask my dearest May to also bear my name."

"What?" she whispered, feeling all eyes on her. "Are you asking me to… marry you?"

"Yes." He got down on one knee, showing her how serious he was to use a human gesture for proposal. He held out a red velvet box containing a slim golden band with two intertwined tree branches.

"What say you, May Hubbard?"

"Yes!"


End file.
